SciFi Japan » Tokusatsu / FX http://www.scifijapan.com/articles Wed, 08 Feb 2012 17:05:24 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 Win GANTZ II: PERFECT ANSWER DVD + Poster Prize Pack! http://www.scifijapan.com/articles/2012/02/07/win-gantz-ii-perfect-answer-dvd-poster-prize-pack/ http://www.scifijapan.com/articles/2012/02/07/win-gantz-ii-perfect-answer-dvd-poster-prize-pack/#comments Tue, 07 Feb 2012 17:33:54 +0000 Keith Aiken http://www.scifijapan.com/articles/?p=28215 NEW PEOPLE Entertainment Official Movie Site: gantz-movie.com (Japan), gantzmovies.com (US) Special Thanks to Shio Toyoda

A SCIFI JAPAN EXCLUSIVE

Win a GANTZ II: PERFECT ANSWER Prize Pack containing a poster and the 2-Disc DVD. Photo courtesy of NEW PEOPLE Entertainment. © Hiroya Oku/Shueisha © 2011 Gantz Film Partners
Last month, NEW PEOPLE Entertainment released GANTZ II: PERFECT ANSWER (前編 PERFECT ANSWER, Gantsu Pafekuto Ansaa, 2011) -- the live-action film sequel to GANTZ (前編, 2011) -- on Region 1 DVD (SRP $24.92) and Blu-ray/DVD combo-pack (SRP $29.99). The GANTZ films are based on the hit manga series created by Hiroya Oku, which has sold over 15 million copies worldwide and was previously adapted in a 26 episode anime series. Directed by Shinsuke Sato (THE PRINCESS BLADE) and starring Kazunari Ninomiya (LETTERS FROM IWO JIMA) and Kenichi Matsuyama (DEATH NOTE, DETROIT METAL CITY), both GANTZ movies debuted at the top the Japanese box office. To celebrate the new film's North American release, NEW PEOPLE Entertainment is giving SciFi Japan readers a chance to win a GANTZ II: PERFECT ANSWER Prize Pack containing the 2-Disc DVD Edition and a poster. The unrated DVD features both English and Japanese dialogue options and includes an exclusive director’s interview, cast profiles, and theatrical film trailers. Continued...
]]> http://www.scifijapan.com/articles/2012/02/07/win-gantz-ii-perfect-answer-dvd-poster-prize-pack/feed/ 0 ALIEN VS NINJA Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack http://www.scifijapan.com/articles/2012/02/05/alien-vs-ninja-blu-raydvd-combo-pack/ http://www.scifijapan.com/articles/2012/02/05/alien-vs-ninja-blu-raydvd-combo-pack/#comments Sun, 05 Feb 2012 20:23:24 +0000 Keith Aiken http://www.scifijapan.com/articles/?p=28748 Rin (Mika Hijii, foreground right) is one of the many ninja who must stop a killer alien in Sushi Typhoon's ALIEN VS NINJA. Photo courtesy of FUNimation Entertainment. © 2010 Sushi Typhoon & “Alien vs. Ninja” Production Committee Source: FUNimation Entertainment press release Official Site: funimation.com/avn, Sushi Typhoon (US), Sushi Typhoon (Japan) Special Thanks to Scott Lonski, Tim Baxter and Michelle Lee On February 21st, FUNimation Entertainment will reissue ALIEN VS NINJA (AVN, 2010), this time in a 2 disc Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack. Centuries ago, the fiercest ninjas of the Iga clan face their toughest enemies -- and they aren’t from this planet! A fiery mass crashes in the forest and soon horrifyingly savage creatures reduce the warriors to tasty snacks. But these extraterrestrials have bitten off more than they can chew. Swords and throwing stars may fail against unearthly goons, but ninja skills don’t stop at sharp stuff. If you’re into ARMY OF DARKNESS, you’ll be taking bets over who’ll win this over-the-top battle for survival! Continued...
]]> http://www.scifijapan.com/articles/2012/02/05/alien-vs-ninja-blu-raydvd-combo-pack/feed/ 0 GANTZ: PERFECT ANSWER on Australian DVD and Blu-ray in February http://www.scifijapan.com/articles/2012/01/28/gantz-2-perfect-answer-on-australian-dvd-and-blu-ray-in-february/ http://www.scifijapan.com/articles/2012/01/28/gantz-2-perfect-answer-on-australian-dvd-and-blu-ray-in-february/#comments Sat, 28 Jan 2012 17:45:52 +0000 Keith Aiken http://www.scifijapan.com/articles/?p=27665 Australian DVD and Blu-ray cover art for GANTZ: PERFECT ANSWER. Photos courtesy of Madman Entertainment. © Hiroya Oku/Shueisha © 2011 Gantz Film Partners Second Installment of the Popular GANTZ Franchise Streets February 15th Source: Madman Entertainment Official Movie Site: gantz-movie.com (Japan), gantzmovies.com (US) The Australian label Madman Entertainment will release the box office hit GANTZ: PERFECT ANSWER (前編 PERFECT ANSWER, Gantsu Pafekuto Ansaa, 2011) on DVD (Region 4, PAL) and Blu-ray (Region B) in February 2012. The discs will feature a never-before seen extended version of the film with new scenes added. Several months after the events of GANTZ 1, Kei Kurono (Kazunari Ninomiya) faces an impending alien invasion under the order of Gantz. As he closes in on the magical "100" score to resurrect his friends, young pop star Eriko Ayukawa (Ayumi Ito) is being secretly ordered by Gantz to carry out assassinations, and cop Masamitsu Shigeta (Takayuki Yamada) inches closer towards finding out the truth about the invading aliens. As the missions get increasingly dangerous, Kurono discovers that the endgame for Gantz is quickly approaching with a massive bloody showdown with the aliens. Continued...
]]> http://www.scifijapan.com/articles/2012/01/28/gantz-2-perfect-answer-on-australian-dvd-and-blu-ray-in-february/feed/ 0 LUST IN HELL and END CALL on DVD http://www.scifijapan.com/articles/2012/01/27/lust-in-hell-and-end-call-on-dvd/ http://www.scifijapan.com/articles/2012/01/27/lust-in-hell-and-end-call-on-dvd/#comments Fri, 27 Jan 2012 17:25:03 +0000 Keith Aiken http://www.scifijapan.com/articles/?p=28244 LUST IN HELL – EDGE OF THE WORLD © 2009 Takeshobo Inc. END CALL © 2008 The MonteCristo Fund LLC/ T.O Entertainment. Source: Asian Crush, Media Blasters, Inc. The home video label Asian Crush, a division of Asian Media Rights, has announced the Region 1 DVD release of the Japanese horror films END CALL (エンドコール, Endokoru, 2008) and LUST IN HELL – EDGE OF THE WORLD (妖美伝奇 新説 牡丹灯籠 壱 この世の果て, Bi Denki Shinsetsu Botandourou Ichi Kono Yono Hate, 2009). Asian Crush titles are distributed by Media Blasters. Continued...
]]> http://www.scifijapan.com/articles/2012/01/27/lust-in-hell-and-end-call-on-dvd/feed/ 0 GANTZ: PERFECT ANSWER on UK DVD and Blu-ray in February http://www.scifijapan.com/articles/2012/01/19/gantz-perfect-answer-on-uk-dvd-and-blu-ray-in-february/ http://www.scifijapan.com/articles/2012/01/19/gantz-perfect-answer-on-uk-dvd-and-blu-ray-in-february/#comments Fri, 20 Jan 2012 05:26:25 +0000 Keith Aiken http://www.scifijapan.com/articles/?p=28080 Cover art for the upcoming UK DVD and Blu-ray editions of GANTZ: PERFECT ANSWER. Photos courtesy of The Associates. © Hiroya Oku/Shueisha © 2011 Gantz Film Partners Source: The Associates press release Official Movie Site: gantz-movie.com (Japan), gantzmovies.com (US) GANTZ: PERFECT ANSWER (前編 PERFECT ANSWER, Gantsu Pafekuto Ansaa, 2011) will be released on DVD (Region 2, PAL) and Blu-ray (Region B) in the UK by Manga Entertainment on February 6th, 2012. The sequel begins several months after the events of the first film. Kei Kurono (Ninomiya) is still fighting aliens under the order of Gantz and he is close to reaching the score he needs to resurrect his friend Masaru Kato (Matsuyama). As the missions begin to get increasingly dangerous for both the alien fighters and the general public, Kurono discovers that the endgame for Gantz is quickly approaching. Continued...
]]> http://www.scifijapan.com/articles/2012/01/19/gantz-perfect-answer-on-uk-dvd-and-blu-ray-in-february/feed/ 0 ALWAYS -SUNSET ON THIRD STREET- 3 Production Notes http://www.scifijapan.com/articles/2012/01/15/always-sunset-on-third-street-3-production-notes/ http://www.scifijapan.com/articles/2012/01/15/always-sunset-on-third-street-3-production-notes/#comments Sun, 15 Jan 2012 18:02:53 +0000 Keith Aiken http://www.scifijapan.com/articles/?p=28092 NTV (Nippon Television Network) Official Site: Always 3 Special Thanks to Asuka Kimura and Tzeling Huang

SPOILER WARNING: This article contains plot details for a new movie.

Theatrical poster for ALWAYS- SUNSET ON THIRD STREET- 3. © 2012 Always Sunset on Third Street '64 Film Partners
Released in Japan in November 2005, ALWAYS- SUNSET ON THIRD STREET (ALWAYS 三丁目の夕日, Always San-Chome no Yuhi) enjoyed a long theatrical run, won countless awards (including numerous Japan Academy Awards), and became one of the most successful films in recent memory. Two years later, the sequel, ALWAYS- SUNSET ON THIRD STREET- 2 (ALWAYS 続・三丁目の夕日, Always Zoku San-Chome no Yuhi, 2007), surpassed the box office success of the original, capturing the hearts of audiences across the nation. Five years later, the beloved characters of this popular franchise return to the big screen in ALWAYS- SUNSET ON 3RD STREET- 3 ALWAYS 三丁目の夕日'64, Always San-Chome no Yuhi '64) — this time in 3D. SciFi Japan is pleased to present an early look at the latest chapter in the smash hit ALWAYS movie series with photos and production notes provided by NTV. Toho will release the film to theaters across Japan on January 21, 2012. Continued...
]]> http://www.scifijapan.com/articles/2012/01/15/always-sunset-on-third-street-3-production-notes/feed/ 0 GANTZ Interview: Director Shinsuke Sato http://www.scifijapan.com/articles/2012/01/13/gantz-interview-director-shinsuke-sato/ http://www.scifijapan.com/articles/2012/01/13/gantz-interview-director-shinsuke-sato/#comments Fri, 13 Jan 2012 17:21:33 +0000 Keith Aiken http://www.scifijapan.com/articles/?p=27954 Masaru Kato (Kenichi Matsuyama) and Kei Kurono (Kazunari Ninomiya) in publicity art for GANTZ II: PERFECT ANSWER. Photo courtesy of Madman Entertainment. © Hiroya Oku/Shueisha © 2011 Gantz Film Partners Author: Elliot Gay Official Movie Site: gantz-movie.com (Japan), gantzmovies.com (US) Source: NTV (Nippon Television Network) Photos: NEW PEOPLE Entertainment, The Associates, Madman Entertainment Special Thanks to Asuka Kimura and Shio Toyoda

A SCIFI JAPAN EXCLUSIVE

GANTZ and GANTZ II: PERFECT ANSWER director Shinsuke Sato. Photo courtesy of NEW PEOPLE Entertainment.
Both GANTZ (前編, Gantsu, 2011) and its sequel, GANTZ II: PERFECT ANSWER (前編 PERFECT ANSWER, Gantsu Pafekuto Ansaa, 2011), were directed by filmmaker and video game developer Shinsuke Sato. A graduate of Musashino University of The Arts, Sato first drew attention for writing and directing successful student films, before making his professional directorial debut with LOVE SONG (2001). His second film, THE PRINCESS BLADE (修羅雪姫, Shura Yukihime, 2001), was released internationally, and he has directed such well-received movies as ALL ABOUT MY DOG (いぬのえいが, Inu no Eiga, 2005), SAND CLOCK (砂時計, Sunadokei, 2008) and the Japan Academy Prize-nominated animated feature OBLIVION ISLAND: HARUKA AND THE MAGIC MIRROR (ホッタラケの島 〜遥と魔法の鏡〜, Hottarake no Shima - Haruka to Maho no Kagami, 2009). Sato has also developed characters and storylines for video games, most notably TEKKEN 4 (2002). SciFi Japan writer Elliot Gay recently spoke with Shinsuke Sato about his work on the two GANTZ films. Continued...
]]> http://www.scifijapan.com/articles/2012/01/13/gantz-interview-director-shinsuke-sato/feed/ 0 NEW PEOPLE Celebrates GANTZ II Release With Special S.F. Screenings http://www.scifijapan.com/articles/2012/01/07/new-people-celebrates-gantz-ii-release-with-special-s-f-screenings/ http://www.scifijapan.com/articles/2012/01/07/new-people-celebrates-gantz-ii-release-with-special-s-f-screenings/#comments Sat, 07 Jan 2012 22:25:40 +0000 Keith Aiken http://www.scifijapan.com/articles/?p=28000 The mysterious men in black are looking for a fight in GANTZ II: PERFECT ANSWER, playing January 14th at NEW PEOPLE Cinema. © Hiroya Oku/Shueisha © 2011 Gantz Film Partners NEW PEOPLE in San Francisco to Screen GANTZ and GANTZ II on January 14th Source: NEW PEOPLE Entertainment, MediaLab press release Official Movie Site: gantz-movie.com (Japan), gantzmovies.com (US) Special Thanks to Erik Jansen NEW PEOPLE Entertainment celebrates the recently announced release of GANTZ II: PERFECT ANSWER on DVD/Blu-ray with a special series of screenings of the entire GANTZ film saga on Saturday, January 14th at the S.F. Film Society | NEW PEOPLE Cinema located in San Francisco’s Japantown. Tickets are $10. Additional ticket and film info is available at newpeopleworld.com/#gantz2. GANTZ (Dubbed) 1:00pm GANTZ II: PERFECT ANSWER (Dubbed) 4:00pm GANTZ II: PERFECT ANSWER (Subtitled) 7:00pm All those attending the screenings of GANTZ II: PERFECT ANSWER will receive a free full-color GANTZ poster. A special ticket bundle is also available for $25 (DVD) or $30 (Blu-ray) that includes a movie pass, poster, and either the DVD or Blu-ray release. Continued...
]]> http://www.scifijapan.com/articles/2012/01/07/new-people-celebrates-gantz-ii-release-with-special-s-f-screenings/feed/ 0 Meet SPECKLES THE TARBOSAURUS in 3D http://www.scifijapan.com/articles/2012/01/03/meet-speckles-the-tarbosaurus-in-3d/ http://www.scifijapan.com/articles/2012/01/03/meet-speckles-the-tarbosaurus-in-3d/#comments Tue, 03 Jan 2012 18:10:44 +0000 Keith Aiken http://www.scifijapan.com/articles/?p=27841 One-eye the Tyrannosaur corners two young Tarbosaurs. Photo courtesy and © 2012 Dream Search C&C, Inc., EBS and Olive Studio, Inc. New Korean 3D Dinosaur Feature Debuts this Month, International Release to Follow Author: Kim Song-ho Source: Dream Search C&C Inc., EBS, Olive Studio Inc. Official Website: blog.naver.com/jumbagi2012

A SCIFI JAPAN EXCLUSIVE

Theatrical poster art, courtesy and © 2012 Dream Search C&C, Inc., EBS and Olive Studio, Inc.
The production companies Dream Search C&C, Inc., EBS and Olive Studio, Inc. have jointly announced the release of SPECKLES THE TARBOSAURUS1 (점박이: 한반도의 공룡 3D, Jumbagi: Hanbandoui gongryong 3D, literal translation "Speckles: Dinosaurs in the Korean Peninsula 3D"), which opens January 26, 2012 in Korea. SPECKLES THE TARBOSAURUS is a 3D, computer-animated feature based on KOREANOSAURUS (한반도의 공룡, Hanbandoui gongryong, Dinosaurs in the Korean Peninsula), a 2008 nature documentary that aired on the Korean TV channel EBS (Educational Broadcasting System). Both the documentary and the new film follow the life of Speckles (Jumbagi in Korean), a fictional Tarbosaurus that lived in Korea during the Cretaceous period (about 70 million years ago). Speckles must protect his family, not only from One-eye (Aekunun in Korean), a violent, vengeful Tyrannosaurus, but also an impending disaster that could change the face of the planet. The film will be distributed in Korea by CJ Entertainment. The North American theatrical, DVD/Blu-ray, digital, Video on Demand, and television rights for SPECKLES THE TARBOSAURUS have been acquired by distributor Well Go USA Entertainment. Continued...
]]> http://www.scifijapan.com/articles/2012/01/03/meet-speckles-the-tarbosaurus-in-3d/feed/ 0 New Korean Thriller HOWLING Opens in February http://www.scifijapan.com/articles/2011/12/28/new-korean-thriller-howling-opens-in-february/ http://www.scifijapan.com/articles/2011/12/28/new-korean-thriller-howling-opens-in-february/#comments Wed, 28 Dec 2011 17:01:54 +0000 Keith Aiken http://www.scifijapan.com/articles/?p=27806 Rookie homicide detective Cha Eun-young (Lee Na-young) joins veteran Cho Sang-gil (Song Kang-ho) to solve a string of killings that may have been caused by an animal. Photo courtesy of CJ Entertainment. © 2011 CJ Entertainment New Trailer and Photos for Film Based on Best-Selling Japanese Crime Novel Author: Kim Song-ho Source: CJ Entertainment Official Howling Facebook pages: Sang-gil Version and Eun-young Version Song Kang-ho, the prolific Korean actor who starred in MEMORIES OF MURDER (살인의 추억, Salinui chueok, 2003), THE HOST (괴물, Gwoemul, 2006), SECRET SUNSHINE (밀양, Milyang, 2007) and THIRST (박쥐, Bakjwi, 2009), among others, leads a new thriller called HOWLING (하울링), which opens in February in Korea. Song plays Cho Sang-gil, a veteran homicide detective who is under pressure for his low arrest record. Because of this, he desperately seeks clues to a series of murders, presumably committed by a wolfdog. Joining Sang-gil on the investigation is rookie detective Cha Eun-young (Lee Na-young), who suspects there is something elusive behind the case. Continued...
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